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Echocardiographic evaluation of aortic root size in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Eline Nijveldt1, Vedat Yildiz2, Karsten E Schober1

  • 1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science
|April 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Aortic root size (ARS) is not enlarged in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), contrary to expectations. This finding helps differentiate HCM from other feline cardiac conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Comparative Pathology

Background:

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats can cause enlargement of cardiac structures like the mitral valve.
  • Aortic root size (ARS) enlargement is seen in human HCM, but its status in feline HCM is unknown.
  • Systemic hypertension (SH) and hyperthyroidism (HT4) are common in cats and can mimic HCM, affecting cardiac dimensions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if aortic root size (ARS) is increased in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
  • To compare ARS in cats with obstructive and non-obstructive HCM to healthy controls.
  • To compare ARS in cats with HCM to those with systemic hypertension (SH) and hyperthyroidism (HT4).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational echocardiographic study of 219 client-owned cats.
  • Evaluated nine echocardiographic variables of ARS in cats with HCM (n=161), SH (n=37), and mixed HT4/HCM (n=21), plus controls.
  • Used multivariable analysis with adjustments for age, sex, treatment, and body weight, and Bonferroni correction for comparisons.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in overall ARS between cats with HCM and healthy controls after accounting for covariates.
  • Ascending aorta diameter in diastole was smaller in HCM cats compared to controls (P<0.0001).
  • Sinotubular junction in systole was larger in obstructive HCM cats versus non-obstructive HCM cats (P=0.021). ARS was larger in SH cats than controls.

Conclusions:

  • Cats with HCM do not exhibit aortic root enlargement beyond variations attributable to body weight, age, and sex.
  • The study provides crucial data for differentiating feline HCM from other cardiac conditions based on aortic root dimensions.
  • Findings suggest ARS is not a reliable indicator for diagnosing HCM in cats, unlike in human medicine.

Keywords:
aortacardiologyfelinehypertensionhyperthyroidism

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